Sexual Health: Why do I always get a UTI when my boyfriend and I are on vacation?

Jun 11, 2007

Why do I always get a UTI when my boyfriend and I are on vacation?

The culprit is the sudden upswing in between-the-sheets activity you get to indulge in when you're on holiday. "During sex, bacteria in the vaginal and anal area can be transferred to the urethra and travel into the bladder," says Jill Maura Rabin, M.D., head of urogynecology at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New Hyde Park. The result? Pee agony. And the more hotel-room action you engage in, the more likely you are to be afflicted. So be sure to pee before and after sex (to flush out bacteria) and avoid the rear-entry position (this move makes it easier for bacteria to hitch a ride from your bottom to your urethra).